Walz seeks federal records using the Freedom of Information Act, but what is it?

Gov. Tim Walz this week filed 16 records requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act seeking internal documents from the Trump administration that might reveal evidence of retribution by the federal government against Minnesota.

FOIA experts, though, know that actually getting documents from the feds can be a frustrating experience.

While the law requires the federal government to respond within roughly one month, officials can drag out requests longer due to certain exemptions, said Jane Kirtley director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota.

Walz asked for documents using terms such as “reckoning,” “retribution,” “punish” and other words that suggest actions by the Trump administration, including the winter surge of federal immigration agents, were driven by a political motive against Walz and Minnesota.

“The use of these keywords, which is a great way to get records, can also be used as a justification to say that the request is too broad,” Kirtley told MPR News. “It could be months before there's any kind of definitive response from the federal government.”

Minnesotans could file requests into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, but the government could also turn those down for “national security, for privacy, for ongoing investigations,” she added.

If Walz does get documents showing a clear pattern of political retribution, then separate litigation can begin, Kirtley said. “He needs the evidence. This is the first step to getting that,”

Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player above. Find more information on FOIA requests here.

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